Machine for smoothing fasteners



Aug' 5., 1941. A. a cARLlLE 2,251,821

` MACHINE FOR SMOOTHING FASTENERS Filed Jan. 31, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheetl HlfredECarIIa legi/Md l v ATTORNEYS.

W 17' INVENTOR.

u 5 1941- A E cARLlLE 2,251,821

MACHINE Fu sMooTHING FAsTENERs Filed Jan? s1, 1959 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

u8- 5 1941- A. E. cARLlLE 2.2.51',821

MACHINE FOR SMOOTHING FSTENERS Filed Jan. 3,1, 19:59 s sheets-sheet sv INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

A1125, 1941. A. E. CARLILE 2,251,821

MACHINE FOR SMOOTHING FASTENERS Filed Jan. 3l, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

Hlfredll A TTORNE YS.

Patented Aug. 5, l1941 MACHINE FOR SMOOTHING FASTENERS Alfred E. Carlile, Meadville, Pa., assignor to Talon. Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 31, 1939, Serial No. 253,913

7 Claims.

This invention relates to smoothing devices and particularly to devices for smoothing the rigid (usually metal) elements o f composite structures such as slide fasteners of the type shown in Sundback Patent No. 1,219,881.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simplified, improved and economical ma chine for rapidly smoothing the individual surfaces of the rigid elements on such composite structure.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide means forsmoothing or polishing metal elements of slide fasteners without danger of deforming them.

Another specific objects is to smooth the metal elements of slide fasteners without. the removal of appreciable quantities of metal therefrom, and without injury tothe fabric tapes upon which the elements are mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which will operate automatically and at high speed with a minimum of attention.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following specification and claims. f

In the accompanying drawings I have shown forv purposes of illustration one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a slide fastener, the

elements of which are particularly adapted'- to be operated on by a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figs. 2`and 3 are diagrammatic views Ashowing successive stages in the operation of smoothing a fastener element; l

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on a reduced scale on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation corresponding to Fig. 4 showing the configuration of thegrooves in the smoothing rolls;

Figs. 6 and 6a are views of the bottom and end respectively, of an interlocking element before smoothing;

Figs. 7 and 7a are views of the bottom and end respectively, of an interlocking element after smoothing;

Fig. 8v yis a plan view showing the general arrangement of -a smoothing machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8, showing the configuration of the smoothing'rolls;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section on the line Ill-l0 0f Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section of the entire machine on the line Il-H of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is an end elevation of smoothing roll housing and associated mechanism as seen from the top of Fig. 8;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section of a the line |3l3 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 14 is a horizontal section through the guide on line lli- I4 of Fig. 13; and

Fig. 15 is a horizontal section on line Iii-I5 of Fig. 11 showing the lower smoothingrolls and associated guides.

rI'he slide fastener which is selected as an example of the structure to be smoothed by the machine, embodying the presentinvention as shown in Fig. 1,'includes a pair of fabric tapes and 20aJ having beaded edges 2| to each of which is attached a row of uniformly spaced metallic interlocking elements 22, which as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, includes side surfaces 24 disposed above and below and substantially parallel to the plane of the tape 20. Interlocking elements are connected or disengaged by any suitable slider and the two tapes are ordinarily permanently connected at their lower or closed ends by any suitable end stop 26.

The present invention is primarily concerned with smoothing the side surfaces 24 of the eleguide taken on 'ments before the two-tapes 20 and 20a are joined in the relation shown in Fig. l, and while they are in the form of separate strips, as shown in Fig. 8.

The stringers consisting of the fabric tape and metal interlocking elements, are frequently manufactured by individually cold forging the interlocking elements `and attaching them in spaced relation to the beaded edge of the tape by automatic machines. Such machines frequently produce side surfaces 24, as shown in Fig. 6, which are undesirably rough and which have relatively sharp corners 21. at their edges, as shown in-Fig.

them without removing metal therefrom at the same time the bevel 28 (Fig. 7)' is formed.

Toaccomplish this, a pair of hardened burnishing rolls 3i) and 3| (see Figs. 2, 3 and 9) are mounted on parallel shafts 32 and 33 and are synchronously rotated'in opposite directions.

able always to`keepv vthroughout the manufacturing process.

2 The surfaces of the rolls are spaced slightly apart to. permit the passage of an interlocking element between them, the thickness of the elements and the spacing of the surfaces being such as to provide the necessary pressure to accomplish the desired burnishing. Helical lands 35 (Fig. 5) are formed on the surface of each roll providing between adjacent convolutions of the lands helical grooves 36 in which the interlocking elements of the fasteners fit. The thickness of the lands is such that the surfaces of the lands do not contact theffabric of the Stringer.

In the operation of the smoothing process, the tape, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is heldl between the rolls by the combined support of the lower roll and the stop or abutment 38. If desired, one or more vanes or supports 31 (Figs. 2, 11) may support the tape and insure its being kept out of contact with the rolls. Such vanes or supports are helpful in feeding'the stringers into the rolls.

The rolls are rotated as. indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3, and the abutment 38 holds each individual interlocking element againstthe force caused by the rotation of the rollers and maintains it between the rollers a suicient length of time to accomplish the desired burnishing. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the abutment is substantially, but not quite parallel to the axes of the rolls, 4that is, it lies in a plane whichis parallel to the axes of the -shafts'32 and 33 and as shown in Fig. l5, is inclined with respect tothe trace of these axes in the plane of the abutment. The helical lands advance each individual scoop along the abutment as the rolls rotate, and the abutment'being inclined with respect to the axes of the rollers, its surface moves farther away from the point of burnishing contact and permits each individual'interlocking element gradually to pass through the rollers to the position shown in Fig. 3. Preferably the inclination of the abutment 38 is such that the surface of the abutment is substantially perpendicular to the lands at the point of burnishing.

The space between the convolutions of the lands forms one continuous helical smoothing surface along the entire length of which each element is passed. As'it passes along the smoothing surface, it is maintained in line contact therewith, that is, tangential thereto, side surface of each element gradually passes across this contact line.

chamfered, corners 28, as shlownl in Figs. 6a

and '1a.

The above process may be carried out by any suitable apparatus, one convenient form of which is illustrated in Figs. 8 to 15 inclusive. A

It may be desirable in manufacture to join together as the two sides of one complete fastener, two tapes 20 and 20a from the same automatic forging machine and to this end it may be desir- Accordingly, it is convenient to provide two sets of smoothing rollers, one pair'of which operates on the tape 20 and the other of which operates on the tape 20a so that the two tapes may be smoothed simultaneously and kept together during this step in the manufacture.

' As seen best in Fig.. 8, the

these two tapes together be cut apart into individual in continuous lengths or as indicated in Fig. 8,

a gap as at 53 may be left in which no inter- A so that the tape may short fasteners.

The smoothing device proper is contained in a casing 54 which includes, as best shown in Fig. l1, the rollers 30 and 3| mounted on their shafts 32 and 33 respectively, and the other pair of rollers locking elements are applied 58 and 59, each suitably rotated by a helical gear' 6I) drivenby a gear 6| mounted on a vertical shaft 62 rotated by any suitable means.

Y The housing 54 consists of a pair of journal blocks 64 and. 65 for containing the upper and lowerrolls respectively. The journal blocks are adjusted to vary the spacing between the rolls and are locked in such adjusted position by the adjusting nuts 66.

As shown in Figs. port 31 of the lower housing 65 extends beyond the end of the lower rolls 3| and 59 and serves as a convenient means for feeding the stringers. As shown in Fig. 1.5 the plate or support 31 substantially covers the lower rollers 3| and 59 and has a pair of inclined slots 10 adjacent the abut-l ments 38, which slots permit the interlocking elements to drop onto the lower rollers 3| and 59 and into thegrooves while the tape is assured of being held out of contact with the rollers by both plates 31.

The helical lands form the means for continu- .ously feed-ing the fastener strip along the burrollsl 30 and 58. Also in order to assist in the and the entire smooth feeding of the fastener strip into the smoothing rollers, a guide, as shown in Fig. 9 is provided above each lower ,roll and in line with each upper roll. of a follower 1| pressed by an adjustable spring 12 in contact with the interlocking elements on the fastener Stringer. In order to move the guide out of the way for the'initial feeding of the machine, a pin 13 projects from the housing and may be raised by the cam surface 14 on the control bar 15 which is shown in Fig. ,12, and may be moved to the left by the bell crank 16 operated by any suitable device, such as the rod 11 connected .to apedal.

The follower 1| forms a vertical guide for fe ding the fastener strip to the pair of smoot g rolls. feeding the fastener strip against the abutments 38. 'I'his is shown in Figs. 13 and 14 and consists of an inclined plate 18 spaced above the plate 31 to guide the interlocking elements against the inclined abutment as they are fed into the rolls.

Preferably the lower rolls 3| and 59 are provided with adjustable'thrust bearings.19 (Fig. 9) to permit any necessary adjustments for aligning the lands of the lower rolls with thelands of the upper rolls at the point of contact with the fastener elements.

-If desired, any suitable drag or weight 80,

, shown in Fig. 8, may be provided for holding the machine consists of l any suitable table or support 50 on which are f Amounted apair of supply reels 5|, and guides 52 for tapes 20 and 29a. These may be made either the burishing rolls. Preferably a suitable coolant, such as soap solution, is continuously cir- 9 and 10, the plate or sup' This guide consists essentiallyv A horizontal guide is also provided for` is provided for of the fastener elements the rolls are nearest together. For reference this culated. This serves both as coolant and lubricant and does not injure the fabric ofthe fastener.

In operation thefburnishing rolls are rotated at a suitable speed by any suitable driving device. The fastener tapes'are fed into the rollers j through the guides 'Il and 18 described. The surfaces of the burnishing rolls atA they bottoms of the grooves form line contacts with the surfaces at the point at which is referred to as the contact line. IThe rolls 'rotate in the direction to force the interlocking elements against the inclined abutments 38, and the helical lands continuously feed the interlocking elements along these abutments. As the distance of the abutment from the contact line increases the elements are allowed to pass between the rolls and thus the entireside surface of each interlocking element is progressively fed across the contact line and the entire surface burnished.

'Ihis burnishing action, it will be observed, takes place by a motion of the burnishing surface in a direction transverse to the line of travel of the,

fastener chain. The pitch of the helical grooves is such as to feed the fastener slowly along the 3. A smoothing device for a slide fastener stringer including a fabric carrierand a rowof spaced interlocking elements attached to and projecting from the carrier, comprising in combination a rotatable smoothing roll, means for holding the stringer for placing aside surface of the interlocking elements in contact with the circumferential surface of the roll and holding lthe stringer substantially parallel to the axis of progressively across the lines of contact while `maintaining opposite' side surfaces thereof `in length of the smoothing rolls so that by the time it has been discharged from the end of the rolls the entire side surface of each interlocking element has been suitably burnished.

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention, Iwish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the appended claims.

' I claim:

F 1. .A smoothingr device for a slide fastener stringer including a. fabric carrier and a series of interlocking elements attached to the carrier and having side surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the carrier, comprising in combination burnishing means deilning spaced opposed surfaces engageable simultaneously with opposite side surfaces of the elements and movable with respect thereto for burnishing both side surfaces of each element, andstringer guiding means for supporting the stringer and holding said opposite side surfaces `of the elements. in contact with the burnishing means while maintaining the fabric carrier out of contact with the burnishing means.

2. A smoothing device for a slide .fastener stringer including a fabric carrier and a row of spaced interlocking elements attached to and projecting from the'canier, comprising in combination smoothingmeans having a smoothing surface, means for guiding the stringer with the ing surface and the fabric carrier spaced theresmoothing from, means for moving the smoothing surface a transversely to the length of the row, and means for moving .-pair of smoothing rolls in substantially vertical interlocking elements in contact with the smoothsmoothing contact with both rolls.

5. A smoothing device for a slide fastener stringer including a fabric carrier anda row of interlocking elements attached to and projecting from the carrier, comprising in combination a smoothing roll mounted for rotation on a prede-- -termined axis, means for guiding a stringer substantially parallel to said axis with the elements in contact with said roll, 'and a stop for the elements, said'stop being in a plane parallel to the axis and disposed along a line in said plane which is inclined to the trace of the axis in the plane.

6. A smoothing device' for a slide fastener stringer including a fabric carrier and a row of interlocking elements attached to and projecting from the carrier, comprising in vcombination a substantially cylindrical smoothing roll having a helical groove defining a helical smoothing surface and slide fastener stringer guiding means for guiding the stringer and holding a plurality of elements simultaneously in contact with different portions of said helical surface.

7. A smoothing device for .a slide `fastener stringer including a fabric carrier and a row of interlocking elements attached to and projecting froml the carrier, comprising in combination a alignment. vthe lower roll being longer than the upper roll, each of said rolls having a substantially cylindrical surface with a helical groove therein defining a helical smoothing surface. and

means for guiding said stringer and holding the elements between and in contact with the helical smoothingfsurfaces of both rolls simultaneously.

E. cAaLmE. 

